


Cold Paws

by KingsAndThieves (TehLotteh)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: But Not The Other Way Around, Engagement, F/M, Fluff, Mari knows Chat's identity, Rating changed due to addition of sin, because frankly they bore me, no actual wedding, pre-wedding and post-wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-24 09:08:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6148597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TehLotteh/pseuds/KingsAndThieves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night before his wedding Adrien gets cold feet, unaware that the Lady his whiskered alter-ego turns to for advice is the very same one he's to carry over the threshold the next day.</p><p>She knows full well who he is, but she isn't about to ruin the illusion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been buzzing in my head for a few days so I thought I'd try and get it out in the open. Apologies if it reads a little oddly, when I try and write fluff it sort of goes into a brain ramble.

 

It was 3:30 am.

The street outside was silent save for the odd car driving past, but no matter what she tried, Marinette Dupain-Cheng couldn't sleep.

Her desk was covered in loose scraps of paper filled to the brim with varying attempts at her new signature, although one in the bottom right corner was circled and practised a few more times, flowing, cursive script reading _M.Agreste_.

A dress bag was hanging up on the back of her door, zipped tightly shut to protect the clothing inside from dust and dirt, while scrap fabric was balled up in the corner of her room as evidence of the chaos that had been her latest project.

She tried texting Alya but the girl must have been fast asleep, and Marinette couldn't help the bubbling of nervous energy in her stomach. She was excited, dreadfully so, and she knew that if she didn't sleep she would regret it come the morning, but she just wanted it to come around so badly that she wasn't sure she would be able to switch her mind off for even a second.

She twisted her engagement ring round her finger for something to do, standing and moving to her window so that she could look outside, glad that most of the street lights had been turned off to allow her to appreciate the stars.

This was her last night as Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and within the next 24 hours she would be going to bed as Marinette Agreste, curled up against her new husband's side and welcome to embrace a positive new future for the both of them.

Childhood sweethearts whose relationship had only grown in the years that followed, through the long-distance that their respective universities had put in the way, undefeated by commitments abroad and long hours of work and stress.

She could still remember the day he proposed to her, taking her out for a walk along the Seine after she had handed in her final project for her degree. It had been a warm summer's evening and he'd insisted they make the most of it, wanting to see the lights bounce off the surface of the river and be able to spend time with her without either of them freezing to death. His arm had been wrapped loosely round her as she snuggled under and into his side, the two ambling peacefully down the street.

They'd stopped at one of their favourite benches, the view there one of her favourites for gathering inspiration. People tended to stay away from that part of the riverside in the dark but it just left it free for the two of them, undisturbed as they sat together in amiable silence, enjoying the sounds of the city and the feeling of each other's breathing falling into sync.

He'd been awkward, unsure of himself, and she had worried that he would have to travel abroad for his work once more. She would never have stopped him, knowing it was important for him, but each time she found it harder and harder to let him go.

When he'd come to stand in front of her, hands loosely clasped behind his back, she'd braced her heart for another few months alone, but as he dropped to one knee before her her mind seemed to stop working, his words going in to her brain and not connecting. When it all came together in a sudden burst of clarity she'd squealed and tackled him, finding herself wrapped in strong, warm arms as she cried out her answer over and over again, waiting for the moment to feel less like a fairytale with each repetition.

Here, a year later, and it still didn't feel any more real. She was to marry the man of her dreams, and she just couldn't believe her luck.

A splash of black out her window caught her attention and she frowned, swearing she caught a flash of green glance in her direction before carrying on towards the Eiffel Tower.

Seemed she wasn't the only one unable to sleep, then.

 

Discovering his secret identity had been a complete accident. She'd never consciously made the decision to figure it out, but after one scarily realistic dream where he'd told her all, dropping his transformation while stood in their favourite spot by the Arc de Triomphe, the possibility had haunted her every waking second. She started to pay closer attention to him in both his forms, the way he smiled when he was genuinely happy, all crooked and toothy and far from perfect, lining up dates when Adrien was working abroad to time Chat would tell her he would be missing for a little while. When Adrien was relaxed around her he would let loose the most awful puns, and when he was sad he would bury his head in her lap, not content until she started to stroke his hair.

For some time Chat would visit her in the night, although every time he started to come on to her she would kindly rebuke him and remind him that she was spoken for and very much in love. What a kick Adrien must have gotten out of his night-time visits, no doubt enjoying the boost to his ego every time that she declared her heart to belong to him and him alone. She was sure he came to visit her like that just for that purpose (although maybe, maybe, he just wanted to see her even more than they usually spent together).

And yet, he had never truly revealed himself to her. As Ladybug she had asked him about it, not long after he'd brought up the topic of proposing to the girl he loved with her.

“I want a shot at normality with her,” he'd said, a dazed smile on his face as they sat side by side and watched the moon. “She made me feel good about myself in a way nobody else has. As Chat I get to be who I really am, sure, but whenever I'm with her I don't need the mask to be able to let myself be free. I love being Chat Noir, of course I do – but I want to try living like the other half do, you know?”

“Will you tell her?” She had turned a gentle gaze to him, feeling her heart flutter for reasons she could never tell him, but hearing him speak about her with such a reverence made her weak at the knees.

“Of course I will. I just.. I'm worried she'll be disappointed.”

She had reached out then and placed her hand on his knee, squeezing and forcing him to look at her. “If she's really the one for you, Chaton, then she'll love every side of you without question. You must have fallen in love with her for a reason. Trust those instincts of yours, yeah?”

She'd noticed a soft red tinge his cheeks at that and he nodded, looking back to the moon with that wonky little smile of his. “Y-yeah.”

 

Seeing him out and about now, she could resist getting Tikki to transform her and allowing her to follow him. Just as he had never formally revealed himself to her, so too had she kept her transformation a secret from him. His words about wanting to live a normal life, just for a day like that, had convinced her that to keep it from him for just a little longer would do no harm. Although he'd fallen hard for Marinette, he'd never truly fallen out of love with Ladybug, and she was sure that finding out that he was marrying his partner in crime could do nothing but please him more.

She let the feeling of the wind rushing past her distract her from her thoughts as she chased after her kitty, seeing him finally come to a stop on a rooftop that overlooked the Eiffel Tower, not seeming to want the effort of climbing up it that night. She landed quietly behind him and saw his ear twitch, knowing that he would be able to sense her presence from the get-go. He shuffled a little in his seat and she took the hint, plopping herself down next to him and folding her legs under her, seeing a nervous smile on his face.

“What's the matter, kit-kat? I would have thought you'd be in bed – it's your wedding tomorrow, isn't it?”

He nodded and hugged his knees to him, resting his chin on them with a dejected sigh. She didn't feel comforted by that, really, really hoping he wasn't getting cold feet and bailing on her.

“Too excited or too nervous?”

“Nervous,” came his quick response, his brow furrowing in concern. “I'm just.. I want tomorrow to be perfect for her, and I'm worried I'm not good enough. Something's going to go wrong – you know how bad my luck is, my Lady. I'm going to drop the rings, or drop her while we're dancing, or fumble over my vows or the whole thing is just going to go up in flames.” He whined, dropping his forehead forcefully against his knees and batting against them a few times. “I just want to give her the fairytale wedding she deserves, and I'm scared that I can't be her prince charming.”

She couldn't help her fond smile, reaching out to wrap an arm around him and pull him to lie against her, slipping fingers in his hair in an attempt to soothe him. She knew his bad luck, she knew it very well, but with her good fortune everything balanced out in the end. It was why they were meant for each other, she was sure.

“Oh mon petit minou,” she cooed softly, resting her cheek against the fluff of his hair, blowing softly against those little black ears perched on his head, “If she's spent this long with you I'm sure she knows what an adorable dork you are already. Just be yourself and enjoy the day for what it is. You're more than good enough for her – she's an extremely lucky woman, and I'm sure she must realise how fortunate she is to have someone as wonderful as you in her life.”

She could feel the tension start to leave his body a little as he listened to her words, purring very quietly under her ministrations. “I fear I'm the lucky one in this relationship, Bugaboo. She's so radiant; it's like she carries the sun with her wherever she goes, and every time I see her smile I just feel like I could explode. I've never met anyone so generous as she, so honest and kind and perfect. She smells like chocolate and cinnamon and her eyes are so crystal clear I could lose myself in them for a thousand years and never grow tired of being there. I would say I want to grow old beside her but she is ageless.”

His words made her pulse race, the sincerity and weight behind them hitting her right where it hurt and she could feel her eyes start to well with tears. She turned and buried her face in his hair, not wanting him to see the effect he was having on her, but she was sure he would hear the tremble in her voice when she spoke. “If you talk to her like that tomorrow you will have one exceedingly happy Mrs Noir. You wear your heart on your sleeve, Chaton, and if you bear your soul to her like that then nobody can doubt your sincerity. I suspect there won't be a dry eye in the house.”

He chuckled softly, nuzzling against her as he listened to the beat of her heart, the two enjoying a moment together. He wanted to appreciate these last moments with her before he became a married man, not that it would change anything, not really, but just because she was his partner in everything in life and he didn't think he would ever have found the courage to propose to spend his life with Marinette if she hadn't encouraged him.

He pulled back to glance to her in surprise as she lightly rapped the back of her hand against his shoulder, pouting in mock offence while his eyes betrayed his curiosity. “What was that for?”

“I had better not see you out here tomorrow night, Chat, you hear me? You can't spend your first night as a married man causing mayhem over the roofs of Paris.”

“Trust me, my Lady,” he purred, eyes taking on a mischievous glint, “I have pawsitively no intention of letting my Princess out of my sight. I have a terrible feeling we'll both be on bedrest.”

She tickled him right in the ribs for that poorly performed pun and his howls of laughter rang through the night, and even though she knew that they should both be parting to at least try and get some sleep before their big day, she just couldn't bare to leave him and return to her lonely room for one last night.

 

* * *

 

Marinette giggled as she looped her arms around Adrien's neck, watching him fondly as he pulled a face while trying to wiggle, attempting to use his hip to open the door to the hotel suite they had booked for their first night together. His arms were completely and utterly full with her multiple layers of skirts and she was certainly not going to help him, finding it far more amusing to watch him struggle.

“Already losing points on the perfect husband scale, love,” she snorted, eyes dancing with glee as he stuck his tongue out at her. With a triumphant “ha!” he finally managed to weasel the door open, stepping in with her in his arms before kicking it shut behind them, smirking as she let one hand trail down to loosen off the tie around his neck.

“Could today have gone any better?” he asked, eyes trailing her as she tugged on one end of the tie, pulling it loose and dropping it to the floor before humming in thought, tapping her nails against her chin.

“I'm surprised, actually. With your bad luck I thought you were taking a pretty big risk yesterday.”

She could feel herself wanting to cackle at the look of utter confusion on his face as he carried her over towards their bed, pulling a face at her that said that he really didn't know where she was coming from but willing to entertain whatever strange notion she had right then.

“For a black cat, you really aren't worried about tempting fate by seeing your bride the night before, are you, Chaton?”

She burst into complete hysterics as he tripped over his feet and dropped her rather unceremoniously onto the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, holy fricking balls. 1800 hits and over 300 kudos? Thank you all so so much for your lovely responses to this little ficlet, and I had so many positive requests for a follow-up chapter I had to give it a go. It means a lot to me that so many of you enjoyed the first chapter, and I really hope this one follows up for you!
> 
> There is sin in this chapter. It's my first ever attempt at writing it and I'm unsure as to how well it turned out, so if anyone can give any advice I would be more than grateful :) I think it's still fluffy sin, but I tried ^^'
> 
> Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy!

She raised her fist to her mouth and bit down hard in an attempt to stifle the unladylike snorts she was making, but the sight of her new husband slowly peeking over the edge of the bed, his hair falling over his face and his eyes narrowed suspiciously in a manner that would look more at home on his leather-clad alter-ego was almost too much for her to bear. He looked like a drowned cat who was suddenly re-evaluating its trust, and with only his eyes and up visible over the edge of the blanket she wasn't long letting out a howl of laughter.

“Your face! Oh, Adrien, your face, it's just- I can't, please-”

She was completely unprepared for the speed with which he pounced, squealing as the momentum took them in a tumble before he had her pinned on the other side of the bed, sat on her stomach. She saw him reach for the pillow above her and soon she was fighting off hit after hit as he wielded the soft cushion like some sort of frying pan.

“I can't believe you didn't tell me! How long have you been sitting on this?” Although his strikes were strong she could tell he was only playing, and even though he was pretending to be hurt there was an excitement in his voice that he couldn't hide no matter how hard he tried. “You came to see me last night even though you knew who I was! Did you want to risk death or something?!”

She laughed as she caught hold of the pillow and pulled it to her chest firmly, dragging him down a little in turn. His face was hovering only inches from hers and a wicked grin crept onto her face as she reached up, licking a line from the tip of his nose and up the bridge.

“You only dropped me once,” she shrugged, secretly pleased at the face he pulled as he recoiled. “Otherwise I'd say your luck held out.”

“You didn't see how badly it went on my end this morning! Nino nearly had kittens! I got _locked in my own bathroom_ and we had to break the door down, Plagg accidentally swallowed one of the rings while searching for food and I had to pretend I was the one choking to death behind a locked door while trying to keep Nino out. The taxi crashed into the lamp-post outside my apartment, then the replacement got lost, and then when we finally got one we realised we'd both forgotten out wallets and I had to ring the taxi company to organise some sort of tab that they're going to charge my father with and then I've got to explain that to him later,” he groaned, tilting his head with a look of mock defeat. “When I finally got to the church and you started heading down the aisle I think I stopped breathing because for all I knew a dragon was going to crash through the ceiling and eat you.”

“But it didn't,” she reminded him, reaching up to smooth his hair out of his face once more, a more gentle expression on her own. “Everything went flawlessly, and we're married, and now there really are no secrets between us.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” He frowned and leaned to her hand, and she could see the look in his face, not understanding why she would keep something so important from him. He seemed confused as she reached for his collar and tugged him down then, pulling him to lie next to her so she could shuffle, curling up against his side with her head on his chest, smiling softly as she watched him prop his arm behind his head so he could keep looking at her in turn.

“I worked it out not too long before you spoke to me about proposing. The day I realised your identity, I asked you if you were going to tell your lover, and you told me that you wanted to try and do this all as a normal human being for once. It killed me inside not to be able to tell you, but when I saw that look in your eyes and the reverence with which you spoke, I couldn't bear to be the one to shatter your dreams. I asked you occasionally, just to make sure you still wanted to wait, and not once did your resolve fail. And so, I decided to keep my identity a secret, up until, well, five minutes ago,” she smiled fondly, seeing his eyes grow wet with emotion at her determination to do what he wanted. “I didn't want to spend our first night together as a married couple with any secrets. I'm sorry for not telling you.”

She jumped a little as he quickly pulled her up to him, burying his face in her hair and she felt more than heard the ragged breath he drew in. His arms around her tightened and she felt a smile fall on her face, hugging him back forcefully. After a moment she felt his lips near her ear, a quiet “thank you” coming out in a whisper, repeated over and over as his lips started to explore her skin, from her ear to her cheek, tracing along her jaw before finally meeting her own in a kiss that he seemed intent on drawing out.

Fingers languidly moved to his chest, unbuttoning his shirt as if they had all the time in the world, and she could feel his own hand run along the bare skin of her shoulder and down in search of the zip at the back of her dress. The frills and ruffles of the bodice barely deterred him, and before too long she could feel cold air travel along her spine as he succeeded in undoing the back, knuckles ghosting over her skin as he brought his hand back up the way it had just gone. She found herself cursing the voluminous nature of her dress as she was forced to part from him to stand beside the bed but he followed her in one fluid movement, sliding the material from her body with enviable ease, his lips soothing the chill that crept over her freshly bared skin.

As soon as her legs were free from the layers of fabric he draped it delicately over the back of the chair, relinquishing control to her hands that were quick to take their turn on his clothes, slipping both jacket and shirt off his shoulders seamlessly, and once they were placed on top of her dress her hands were back on his body, running over the toned musculature of his forearms and biceps as she stepped into his embrace, looping her arms around his neck. Her fingers quickly knotted in his hair as she pulled him down to meet her in a proper kiss, his own hands tracing the curvature of her waist and lightly gripping her hips, pulling her closer to him.

She slowly ran her hands back down to his chest, trailing down through the fine trails of hair on his torso before deftly undoing the buckle of his belt and tugging it free, enjoying taking her time with removing his clothes. It gave her time to appreciate the (undeniably pleasing) aesthetic quality of her partner's body, a mixture of generous genetics and a lifetime of pushing it to its limits, and then some. He didn't seem to complain, using the time to trace patterns over every inch of her body that he could reach, teasingly running a line under the straps of her bra and round the back to the clasp holding it in place.

With practised ease he undid the clasp, and in the same instant her hands came to his chest and firmly walked him back, his knees buckling as he found the edge of the bed and falling back against it. In one confident motion she discarded her bra, dropping it to the floor and smirking in satisfaction as she watched his eyes roam over her. Her fingers were immediately at his waistband, tugging his remaining clothes from him, and was quick to move into his open arms. He rolled them over so that she was pinned below him, his hand running down her side before playing with the frill of her garter belt.

“I had hoped that you would wear one,” he positively purred, placing a kiss to her clavicle before slowly moving down her body. His hand guided her leg to bend, placing a chaste kiss to her inner thigh as he nuzzled the skin right beside the article of clothing in question, piercing green eyes flitting over to her with a look of curiosity.

Her thumb absently reached round to rub against the wedding ring on her finger as she watched him, head tilted slightly to give him the permission they both knew he didn't need. “And deprive you of your right? You wound me, Chaton.”

He smirked, breathing hotly against her skin before taking the fabric between his teeth with a delicacy she often forgot he possessed, shimmying it down her thigh and calf and looking far too satisfied with himself as he did. Once she was free of it he moved to pin her once more, the fabric still in his teeth, and beamed at her. She laughed and swatted him, taking it from him and chucking it in the vague direction of the rest of their clothes.

If she missed, it was because she was distracted. Even Ladybug wasn't immune to a cat's charm.

“And here I though cats were your spirit animal,” she hummed thoughtfully, running the back of her finger lightly over his throat before coming to rub under his jaw, watching his eyes start to drift closed with a low reverberation in his chest that she knew meant he was contented. “You're more of a loveable puppy right now.”

“But at least I'm loveable!”

She snorted again as he descended to pepper her neck with kisses, going straight for that weak spot on her neck, and she closed her eyes to allow him free rein for a time. If he wanted to shower her with affection, she wasn't going to stop him.

Not yet, anyway.

While his lips coaxed a lovely red mark on her throat that was going to have fun hiding the following day, his hands got busy exploring, trailing with such a feather-light touch that she could feel the goosebumps rising in their wake, squirming a little in her desperation for more contact. By now he knew just what she wanted and it seemed he was more than content to take their time as well, teasingly dragging nails along the inner side of her thigh, up and down, always close to where she really wanted him to give her that buzzing of anticipation but never close enough to tease it into something more.

She was just about to make some impatient demands when he finally slipped his fingers in, coaxing a low sound from her, and she sank back into the pillows to allow herself the opportunity to lose herself in the sensations. His skilled and experienced touch needed no guidance from her now, curling just right to stoke the fire burning deep within. She felt guilty for not paying any attention to him, but he didn't seem to mind, relishing in seeing the reactions he managed to pull from her.

Eventually she couldn't take it any more, knowing that otherwise he would just bring her to completion and as much as she was enjoying it, she refused to allow him to be that self-sacrificing on a night that was just as important for the both of them. It was all too simple to switch their positions, using her hidden core strength to almost manhandle him into place, before she settled comfortably on his hips and ground down with a twist that she knew drove him crazy. She enough she heard the noise he made to stifle, his hands coming up to grip her hips and encourage her to continue, but she was ready for him.

Her own hands shot out and took hold of his, pinning them above his head and holding them in place with one hand, her other coming to brace herself against his firm chest as she repeated her actions. She could feel his hands straining against her, but from where she was she had the angle advantage, and she couldn't help but press down a little harder than was necessary in turn. She knew that a part of him loved it when she took control, loved being at her mercy, which she supposed came from their partnership where he would naturally look to her to lead. Although both were pretty flexible and more than eager to swap roles at the drop of a hat, she was all too willing to give him this while she could.

As much as they were both enjoying the rolling motions of their hips meeting, she could feel they both wanted – no, needed – something more. Hearing his murmured encouragements and pleas for more she was soon rising and resettling, taking her time to adjust to the feel of him, and she could feel all his muscles tense in desperate anticipation as he fought the desire to immediately move to meet her. She released his hands so she could brace both on his chest, feeling his come to grasp her hips without hesitation, and they were quick to fall into a rhythm they both knew so well.

In everything they did they moved in perfect harmony, and be it fighting or fucking, it had little impact on them. As cliché as it sounded in her own head she could almost swear she could feel her heart beating in time with his, drawing ragged breaths together, moaning in sync. She let her head fall forwards, fingers digging into his chest a little as she felt the muscles in his lower abdomen start to clench, hearing the off-kilter breaths that tore from him that hinted that he was almost undone.

He barely managed to grind out a warning before she felt his hips pound up roughly against her, bucking with the full force of his orgasm, and hearing her name pour from his lips in such raw sensation pushed her to her completion in turn. He held her through their aftershocks, little jolts of bliss continuing to pulse through their bodies even as she moved to lie beside him, feeling him wrap an arm around her and pull her flush against him, curling protectively around her body and burying his face in her hair to take a deep breath of all scents Marinette.

She found his hand around her stomach and was quick to place hers on top, linking their fingers and giving a tight little squeeze, feeling him squeeze back in return. He still seemed to be struggling with finding the ability to talk once more, so she just snuggled back against him for now, enjoying the warmth of his body on her back. They didn't need words to express how they felt. Ladybug and Chat Noir knew what the other was thinking from body posture alone. Marinette and Adrien were no different.

For the first time in a long time, he was fully relaxed. They both were. She knew he'd been fretting about the wedding and how to tell his new wife his secret identity for a very long time, while she had been worried that he would hold her keeping her secret, well, a secret, against her. She smiled slightly at the realisation that everything had just slipped into place, eyes starting to close as she found the allure of a good night's sleep too tempting after the excitement of the day and night before.

Although her mind was already well-on its way to unconsciousness, she didn't miss his half-asleep words mumbled into her hair, the vibration tickling just enough to make a shiver run down the nape of her neck.

_I always knew you were my lucky charm._

**Author's Note:**

> I'm considering this as finished but if the occasion arises I may write a second chapter of sin - maybe. I'm not good at it but I've wanted to try my hand at it for a while so we'll see!
> 
> As usual feel free to bug me on tumblr @kingsandthieves, I'm always around for a chat!
> 
> Also I was originally going to try and incorporate the British superstition that a black cat walking towards you brings good luck but one walking away causes bad luck as a thing to say that with Adrien not running away and approaching his lovely he was going to bring good fortune for a change but I couldn't work out how to write it in. Oh well!


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